Cone snails, such as Conus magus, or the magical cone, are predatory marine mollusks that use venom to paralyze their prey. The venom has properties that make it potentially useful to humans, too. Scientists have derived a compound called ziconotide from the venom of C. magus that has painkilling power up to three orders ofContinueContinue reading “Snail venom speeds pain relief”
Tag Archives: toxin & venom
Exploring the molecular underpinnings of convergent evolution
Similar phenotypic traits such as anatomical structures and physiological functions often evolve independently in different organisms. Nonetheless, the evolutionary paths leading to these convergent phenotypes were typically thought to be quite different. Many such phenotypes are quite complex, requiring coordination among many different genes, suggesting that their development likewise involved multiple evolutionary twists and turns.ContinueContinue reading “Exploring the molecular underpinnings of convergent evolution”
Fishing for an antidote to cyanide
The use of animals as sentinels for exposure to toxins is not new but has come a long way since the first canary was brought into a coal mine. A recent twist took the sentinel from airborne to aquatic, establishing three key results: first, zebrafish are a viable model for cyanide exposure in humans. Second,ContinueContinue reading “Fishing for an antidote to cyanide”
Snake venom points out a new pain pathway
Natural toxins, such as snake venom, are used by various organisms for protection against potential predation. These toxins work by creating irritation, disease or pain in predators. Their mechanisms of action are of interest to researchers because they may elucidate new or poorly understood biological processes, such as those involved in pain sensation, nerve activationContinueContinue reading “Snake venom points out a new pain pathway”
Channeling the power of scorpion venom
Scorpions, cockroaches and clawed frogs may sound like ingredients in an ancient recipe for witches’ brew. But bringing these animals together in a series of experiments has uncovered a new understanding of a more mundane problem: pesticide resistance in insects. The results of this recent study may help scientists to develop better pesticides—no spell bookContinueContinue reading “Channeling the power of scorpion venom”
Bee toxin takes the sting out of cancer
One challenge in cancer treatment is to balance toxicity with specificity: potential therapies must be toxic enough to damage rapidly dividing cancer cells yet specific enough to not harm other tissues. Cytolytic peptides are small proteins that are drawn to cell membranes and destroy them by creating structural defects that cause the cells to breakContinueContinue reading “Bee toxin takes the sting out of cancer”
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